I made this post on Airsoft Society a while ago; They recently shut down for a few days to fix something. Since I thought their site was down permanently, I thought I would have to re-write this. Instead I'll copy-paste it:
Is Airsoft dying? June 6, 2014 (It's been (almost) a year already? fuck)
Airsoft is going to be around a while in one way or another, but it has a major image problem that prevents it from really taking off. I think there are two problems that keep people from wanting to try airsoft:
1: There is way too much emphasis on equipment and "loadouts" (and yes, I needed to bold, italicize, and underline that, it's that important). If you look at forums for other hobbies/sports, you probably won't find the kind of heated debates that you find on airsoft forums (or in person at a field) about the equipment used to play the game. It also seems like most airsofters spend more time/energy talking about the stuff they have or want instead of playing airsoft. Take a look at [Airsoft Society] for example; I'd estimate that at least half of the content in this forum is dedicated to the discussion of stuff used to play the game.
2: The playerbase is too polarized and competitive to offer a hospitable 'community' for new players (if this is a good way to describe the problem). You've got the speedballers (hello :3) and the mil simmers, but there's no middle ground. There isn't a place for casual players that want to play a relaxed game, as everyone is pushed together in the limited number of fields available. The casual/new players are forced into games against very competitive (and sometimes cheating) players who are only concerned about having fun for themselves, even at the expense of others.
This problem also ties in with the over emphasis on equipment. When the new players see everyone around them with $XXX or $XXXX worth of stuff and how everyone is talking about all of the stuff they have, they're left with a choice: buy $XXX+ worth of stuff to be able to fit in, or quit.
The only way to fix these problems is to change the way players think about the game. First, everyone has to acknowledge that airsoft is a game. There should be no reason to be pissed off at others for being hit or losing a game as nothing is at stake. More importantly, people need to play more often and stop focusing on what stuff they have. What's worse than being angry at others for losing a game is hating them for not having the same stuff as you or having the 'wrong' stuff. If everyone takes the money they would've spent on another gun or some other thing and spent it at a field playing, businesses and entrepreneurs may see starting an airsoft field as a viable business and would consider opening one. Wouldn't it be nice to have more fields to play at?
